The present disclosure relates to hanger and support assemblies for supporting conduit including fluid pipes and electrical conduit.
Hanger and support assemblies are used to support conduit by, for example, suspending the conduit from structure such as a ceiling in settings such as a parking garage. Hanger and support assemblies can include a support that supports the conduit and a clamp or hanger that mounts the support to the structure and secures the conduit to the support. Typically, the support has a hollow, hemi-cylindrical body configured to receive the conduit, and the hanger is configured to extend around the conduit and the support. In addition, two hangers are typically used for each support, with a hanger positioned near each end of the support.
Although the conduit is secured to the support at the locations of the hangers, portions of the conduit between the hangers may detach from the support. Friction between the conduit and the support may retain the conduit on the support to some degree. However, conduit such as plastic pipe has a tendency to bend, which causes the conduit to resist retention in the support. In addition, thermal expansion and contraction of the conduit can cause the conduit to detach from the support. Thus, factors such as shape memory and thermal expansion may cause portions of conduit between the hangers to overcome friction between the conduit and the support and detach from the support.
To prevent detachment of the conduit from the support, zip ties can be wrapped around the conduit and the support. However, assembling the zip ties requires two hands. Since the zip ties are often placed by a worker positioned on a ladder or other elevated platform, requiring two hands to assemble the zip ties can increase risk of injury. In addition, positioning the zip ties at regular intervals along the length of the support is difficult.
Furthermore, supports may be have relatively large lengths, such as 10 feet (ft), to reduce the number of supports required to support a given length of conduit. However, a standard shipping container may be configured to contain supports having shorter lengths, such as less than 8 ft. Thus, supports having larger lengths may require special shipping containers that increase the cost of shipping the supports.
The length of the supports may be limited by the strength thereof, as the supports must have sufficient strength to support the weight of the conduit and to resist bending tendencies of the conduit. Moreover, a support may collect moisture such as condensation or may not direct moisture as desired. This may be a particular concern if the support is used to support electrical conduit housing electrical wires or cables that are sensitive to moisture exposure.
In accordance with the present invention, a hangar and support assembly is provided that includes a support, a clamp, and a hanger. The support has a partial-cylindrical shape or body (e.g., a hemi-cylindrical body) including a first section having a first diameter and a second section having a second diameter. The clamp is configured to extend around the support and conduit placed in the support. The hanger is configured to suspend the conduit and the support.
In one embodiment, the support further includes a third section having a third diameter, and the first and third diameters are greater than the first diameter. In one aspect, the first and third sections being disposed at opposite ends of the support and are each configured to receive another support. This enables the support to serve as a coupler that joins two longer supports to one another to provide continuous support for the conduit. Since the coupler supports some length of the conduit, the coupler allows the supports joined by the support to be shortened to a convenient length for handling, installing, and shipping.
In another aspect, the support includes a retention member, such as a ring or a hook, extending radially from an outer surface thereof. The retention member defines an aperture for receiving a strap, such as a zip tie, which is configured to be wrapped around the support and the conduit to secure the conduit to the support. The retention member supports the strap during assembly, allowing the strap to be assembled using one hand while the other hand is used for balance to reduce the risk of injury. In addition, the retention member assists with determining the position and number of straps to be used for securing the conduit to the support.
In yet another aspect, the support includes longitudinal ribs or grooves extending along the length thereof. The longitudinal grooves increase the strength of the support, allowing the thickness of the support to be minimized. In yet another aspect, the partial-cylindrical body of the support defines an aperture in an apex thereof, and the longitudinal grooves direct moisture such as condensation to the aperture for drainage purposes.
In another embodiment, the second diameter is greater than the first diameter such that the second section can receive the first end of another one of the support. In this regard, multiple ones of the supports can be joined end-to-end, eliminating the need for a coupler. Methods for forming a support in accordance with the present invention are provided. Additional advantages and features of the present invention can be ascertained from the following description and claims as well as the appended drawings.